


Don't Mind Me Standing Here, Just Avoid Me To Make It Clear

by dara3008



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Tony Feels, a bit angsty, a little overdramatic but hey, steve is an idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-06-12
Packaged: 2018-02-04 08:19:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1772152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dara3008/pseuds/dara3008
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is an idiot and thinks avoiding something will make it go away.</p>
<p>Tony is a master at misunderstanding. Though really, who can blame him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Mind Me Standing Here, Just Avoid Me To Make It Clear

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for the cliché but I saw this one fic where Steve was avoiding Tony because he basically wanted the D and I just wanted to add a little angsty twist about Tony noticing this avoidance and thinking he did something wrong.

Steve is avoiding him. That shouldn't be such a problem, but if you take into consideration that Tony is helplessly in love with the Captain, it is pretty hurtful. 

It doesn't even start as obviously. 

Natasha and Tony are in the kitchen, eating some snacks and arguing about which arrow update would be best for Clint - explosives or tracking devises - when said Captain walks in. He greets them both normally and even ads a few ideas to their argument, but the second Natasha walks out of the door he completely quietenes and an awkward silence suddenly surrounds them. And the second his sandwich is ready he excuses himself. 

Odd, but Tony's honestly too tired to even notice properly.

\---

But then it had happenes again at the gym.

Tony is unable to sleep, so he chooses to go down there to make a few updates on the shooting range. Steve is there already, destroying a punching bag. Normally he would greet Tony cheerfully, most of the time even ask if the engineer is up for a few sparring lessons. This time he takes one look at Tony and stills completely. 

'Oh, hey Steve.' Tony smiles at him normally, but Steve just mutters a greeting back and excuses himself before the punching bag even stops swinging. He forgets his towel and water bottle all together. Tony only looks after him confused.

\---

The third time, Steve has been on a mission and Tony drives to get him. He stops his silver Corvette next to the suited up Captain and grins at him. 'Hop in, Soldier.' The grin doesn't leave his face when Steve's head shoots up in surprise but it dimms when he sees the frown.

'Natasha was supposed to get me.'

And the grin vanishes completely because wow, he feels really unwelcome. Briefly the meetings in the kitchen and the gym cross his mind but he shakes them away and smiles a little tighter. 'She had stuff to do.' Steve frowns even more but finally gets into the damned car.

The drive is incredibly silent even with 'Cold-Hearted Man' blasting threw the speakers. Ironic really, if Tony thinks back.

\---

The fourth time, Tony is already in the kitchen when Steve walks in. It has been a bad day, frustrating and infuriating even so he grits his teeth when he sees Steve hesitate.

'Oh, Tony... Hey... You know I just remembered that I...' Before he can sprout some bullshit, Tony pushes off the counter and grabs his coffe can.

'Don't bother. I was about to leave anyway.' He snaps and leaves. His heart actually stutters a little when he looks over his shoulder to see Steve sit down with a relieved look in his eyes.

\---

The next day, Tony feels a little bad for his reaction, telling himself that he's interpreting something wrong and that his fucking best friend isn't suddenly treating him like the plague. He plans to apologize later but isn't quiet prepared when he walks into the kitchen again and sees him sitting there. 'Oh, Steve. Hi.' He hesitated, his voice almost shy, his tentative smile _definitely_ shy. But Steve looks up at him with something that can be only described as annoyance. And even then he only looks for a second, then avoids Tony's eyes completely and only grumbles an answer. Tony stares at him for a solid minute, his gaze never met again. He grabs his cup with shaky hands and just shuffles there for a moment. 'Okay then.' And damn, this one hurts. This… this is honestly really painful in a way. 

Because Tony has known the day would come he would somehow fuck up and loose this close bond he has - apparently _had_ \- to Steve. He's just always thought he would notice when exactly that happened and what exactly he did.

It hurt even more not to know why Steve suddenly decided to hate him.

\---

Really, Tony deals with this situation the only way he knows. He barracades himself in his workshop and doesn't come out for five days straight. He ignores his phone - because it wouldn't be Steve anyway and he really only ever answered it if it was him - and lives off of coffee and maybe two hours sleep daily.

So its no wonder that someone finally snaps and somehow gets JARVIS to open the door.

Tony really doesn't expect that someone to be the reason he was in there to begin with.

'What do you of all people want?' The words come out sharper than he wanted but this time he really isn't about to apologize for that.

Steve shuffles and looks as uncomfortable as he has since the whole thing started. 'Tony, come on, you've been in here for almost a week. You will work yourself to death.' And why does he sound worried? He doesn't exactly have the right for that.

'What's it to you?' He snaps and cringes when this only reminds him of their first few weeks of living together.

Steve frowns. 'The other's sent me down here, because we're worried, Tony. You haven't been here this long since forever. They thought if you would listen to someone it would be me.'

_The other's sent me._ Ignoring the stab of pain that rushes through him at that, Tony smirks coldly. 'Poor you, then. Tell them they don't have to worry, I'm completely fine. Just busy.' 

'Come on, what's that supposed to mean. You know I worry about you just as much, why can't you just come with me, you need to sleep.' Steve walks up to him and attempts to grab his arm but the engineer pulls back.

'I repeat my question, what's it to you? Shouldn't you be happy that if I'm down here all the time at least you dont have to go through the trouble of avoiding me the whole damn time?' 

The Captain frowns again but then looks down sheepishly. 'About that, I'm sorry, I...'

Having it actually confirmed is almost like a slap to the face. 'Don't worry.' He stops him mid sentence. He's heard enough. 'You know, normally the people that get tired of me at least tell me what made them finally hate me.' He ads bitterly.

Steve looks up alarmed. 'Hate? Tony, no I don't hate you, I...'

'Steve, I've literally seen you enter a room, look straight at me and leave. Don't patronize me, it's common knowledge that I'm far from stupid.'

The Captain sighs and tries to reach him again. 'No, but you are misunderstanding.'

But Tony steps away again. 'What? What can I possibly misunderstand? You avoid me like the plague!'

'Because I don't know how to _act_  around you anymore. I constantly feel the need to _touch_  you and see if you're alright and gather you close and let no one near you. Are you getting it now? What else was I supposed to do?!'

'That! Exactly that, just don't push me away!'

They both stop suddenly, breathing heavily and with wide eyes. That... that was a bit too much wasn't it? 

Tony gulps and steps back even more. 'Wow... That... Ignore that. Just ignore that.'

'I... I didn't mean to push you away. I'm sorry.' Steve shuffled awkwardly. 'Tony, I...'

'Steve just...'

'I'm in love with you.'

Tony's head snaps up at that. '…What?'

'I'm in love with you, Tony.' The Captain takes a deep breath. 'That's why I was avoiding you. I'm sorry, I never meant for this to happen.'

The engineer's fast beating heart stutters to a halt. 'So... You're in love with me but you don't want to be?' By now he isn't sure what of all this hurt the most. Mostly he is just very confused.

Steve shakes his head quickly. 'No! No, that is not how I meant this. Tony, you have got to stop misunderstanding me, I...'

'Then stop doing or saying things that seem or sound like I'm not good enough for anything.' God, damn it, are they suddenly in some television drama?

'But you are _too_ good for me! I never thought you would even consider... _I_  am not good enough for _you_ , Tony, you're brilliant. You are the most amazing person I know, I thought you would never even think about it.'

'But I was always thinking about it! Steve, you have no idea what the last few weeks made me feel like, I thought you started to hate me, I thought you would leave me like everyone does eventually. You...' Say _you broke my heart_ and you can punch yourself in the face! 'It just hurt, okay? And why are we even still discussing this, god, just kiss me already!'

And Steve does. He does and he pours all the pent up and overflowing emotions into it so that Tony can never misunderstand him again in that matter.

\---

Tony does hate himself a little for playing the protagonist in a teenage angst sitcom but he supposes that getting Steve out of this makes it up in the best way possible.

 


End file.
